Fiery orange. A shock of orange runs along the lower cabinetry in this open-plan kitchen, bringing the heat to the work zone without intruding on the rest of the calmer finishes in the adjacent spaces. The paint job was customized by applying many layers and then finishing it with hand polishing.

Distressed turquoise. The renovation on this historic Massachusetts farmhouse included a large dream kitchen for the restaurant-owning homeowners. A pleasing turquoise with a distressed finish works beautifully against the exposed brick wall. And we’ll give them bonus points for all the wonderful colors of the ingredients in the Mason jars.